Michael J. Fox accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 14, delivering an emotional speech marked by his signature optimism.
Bob Hope Humanitarian Award
Michael J. Fox was honored with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2026 Emmys for his advocacy and philanthropic work supporting Parkinson’s disease research. The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award is an honorary Emmy presented by the Television Academy and the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation. Established in 2002, it recognizes a television-industry figure whose philanthropic work has made a lasting impact on society. The award recognizes individuals in the television industry whose humanitarian work reflects Hope’s legacy. The accolade, first given to Oprah Winfrey in 2002, has previously been presented to George Clooney, Sean Penn, Danny Thomas, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. This honour, which recognises outstanding philanthropic efforts, has been presented just six times in Emmys history.
Julianna Margulies and Peacock Theater
Fox attended the award show on Monday night with his wife, Tracy Pollan. Michael J. Fox earned two standing ovations during his powerful speech at the 2026 Emmys on Monday night. The 65-year-old received his first standing ovation as he took the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles in a wheelchair to accept the award from his former The Good Wife co-star Julianna Margulies. I can think of no one more deserving than Michael,
Margulies said in her introduction. Fox was honoured in recognition of his transformative contributions to Parkinson’s disease research and advocacy.
In his acceptance speech, Fox reflected on Hope’s decades of service to members of the military and the example the legendary entertainer set. He embodied everything I came to believe in years later,
Fox said. When circumstances get tough, you show up, you help, and if you can add a little joy while you’re doing it, that seems better.
Fox connected that lesson to his own experience with Parkinson’s disease, acknowledging that he initially kept his diagnosis private because he feared it could jeopardize his career and his relationship with audiences.
Initially, I kept my Parkinson’s diagnosis a secret. I worried that it would affect my work and my relationship with audiences,
Fox said on the Emmy Awards’ stage. “Would they laugh if they knew I was sick? And then I was stunned by the support I got. The support from all of you. It was so uplifting. It made me feel like I could keep doing this and I hadn’t lost what I do and they couldn’t take this away from me. And it’s because you stood up for me, and I really appreciate it.” He added, I understood that accepting Parkinson’s didn’t mean I had to surrender to it. It just meant I had to do everything I could for everyone living with this disease.
Deborah W. Brooks and The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Fox Foundation. At the end of his touching speech, the audience was on its feet again, giving him his second standing ovation. Fox was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in 1991 at 29 years old, which he shared publicly in 1998. Brooks. To date, the foundation has financed more than $3 billion for research. By 2022, the foundation had reportedly committed more funding to Parkinson’s research than the US government.
During the speech, Fox discussed his foundation and said that they are “close” to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. He thanked its staff, donors, researchers and the Parkinson’s patient community for advancing the search for a cure. The fastest-growing neurodegenerative condition in the United States, Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder affecting the nervous system. It causes nerve cells in parts of the brain to weaken, become damaged, and die,
according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The internet reacted to Fox being honored with the award on Monday night. Michael J. Fox ❤️❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏We can all learn so much from him…🙏🏻👍,
one user wrote on X. Another added on X, I really do think we underestimate how much Michael J Fox really put Parkinson’s ‘on the map’ so to speak. I knew about it as a little kid because of him and his advocacy for it.
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